On Tuesday 3 August 2021 a catastrophic forest fire broke out in North Euboea, destroying
520,000 stremma (almost 130,000 acres) and destabilising people’s lives, social cohesion,
and the local economy.
The most important blow, however, was the environmental destruction of a unique Aleppo
pine forest, which was the inspiration for and supplier of resin collectors, beekeepers,
livestock farmers, loggers, and all the locals of the region.
On Tuesday 10 August 2021, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assigned the complicated
project of reconstructing the region to Mr Stavros Benos.
On Wednesday 18 August 2021, Stavros Benos presented his plan for the rebirth of the
region to the Prime Minister and his associates.
Not a single hour has been wasted since.
Focused on culture and the magic of synergies, a holistic, people-centred programme is
being formed, that utilises the intellectual and operational acquis of the European Union and
the ‘DIAZOMA’ Foundation.
Namely, an Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) was designed, which is — through a
double transition, Green and Digital, and the creation of an innovation space serving
everything from citizens daily needs to entrepreneurship — the value and operational core
of NSRF 2021-2027 and the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
In total 13 designs were assigned, impacting all aspects of public and private life. More
specifically, designs on:
• Infrastructure
• Health and Welfare Networks
• the New Forest,
• Special Urban Plans of the two Municipalities
• Human Resources
• Culture and Education
• Agri-Food
• Tourism,

and three cross-cutting intervention on the Digital Wave, the Green Zone, and the
Innovation Space, which are indispensable to and permeate all the other designs.
All the designs will converge and will act as inputs for the central Strategic Plan design
(Master Plan).
The cost of the designs is 2 million Euros and it will be covered in full by the Corporate
Member, Sponsor, and Donor circle of the ‘DIAZOMA’ Foundation, which will be offered to
the state free of charge.